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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22580455">What We Leave Behind</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bazylia_de_Grean/pseuds/Bazylia_de_Grean'>Bazylia_de_Grean</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jewel in the Iron Crown [28]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pillars of Eternity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 12:01:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>246</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22580455</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bazylia_de_Grean/pseuds/Bazylia_de_Grean</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He never wakes her up before he leaves.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Thaos ix Arkannon/Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jewel in the Iron Crown [28]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1566019</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>TTRPG Godsquad</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>What We Leave Behind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/aban_ataashi/gifts">aban_ataashi</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <i>Prompt: kiss at dawn.</i>
</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When he wakes, Nona is still sleeping peacefully, curled up at his side. Thaos brushes a strand of errant hair out of her face, runs his fingertips down her cheek a few times, his touch feather-light, and watches her smile as her dream becomes brighter when he infuses it with still fresh memories.</p><p>Then he traces his fingers from the nape of her neck and across her shoulder, following an invisible trail of kisses he left there last night. That is what he wants her to remember when he will be gone. That is what he wants her to remember, should he not return.</p><p>That is why, if he can, he always takes time before important, more dangerous missions to properly say goodbye to her. And why he never wakes her up before he leaves.</p><p>Nona confronted him about this once. Told him she would like to see him in the morning, to bless him for his journeys. That she would be fine with this. But he does not want her last memory to be of him walking away. Eventually, after his death, she will understand.</p><p>Thaos leans in and gently presses his lips to Nona’s forehead, breathing in the scent of her hair. She mutters something, and he kisses her again. “I’m here, jewel,” he murmurs, reassuring, as he starts getting up carefully.</p><p>It is not a lie. Not even a half-truth. No matter what happens, he will always stay with her in her thoughts.</p>
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